HEADLINES ARCHIVE

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has noted a number of developments for its Kfir fighter, including the conclusion of an upgrade programme for Colombia, plans to upgrade and return to service aircraft for Sri Lanka, and ongoing efforts to sell additional aircraft to a US ‘Red Air’

Key Points
A request for proposals for Canada's future fighter programme will be issued in early 2019 and first aircraft are to be delivered by 2025
Canada will also buy 18 F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from Australia to address capability gaps
The Canadian Government on 12 December formally launched

Draken International has incorporated a number of newly acquired Denel Aviation (Atlas) Cheetah fighter aircraft into its fleet of ‘Aggressor’ platforms, the ‘Red Air’ trainer provider announced on 12 December.
The Florida-based company has received 12 of the former South

Turkey’s special forces have received a first batch of loitering munitions, Jane's has learned at the Gulf Defence & Aerospace exhibition in Kuwait City.
The two types of loitering munitions, both developed by the country’s STM, were delivered two months ago for training purposes.

Germany’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has contradicted the country’s air force chief in declaring that the Panavia Tornado should be replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon rather than the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
Reuters reported on 11 December that the

Argentina has received four new Bell helicopter 412EP platforms that were first approved by the US State Department in late 2015.
The medium-twin helicopters were handed over to the Argentinian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina: FAA) during a ceremony at Bell’s Fort Worth facility in Texas on

The Kenyan Air Force (KAF) publicly displayed its new AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters for the first time during the country’s independence day celebrations on 12 December, when two took part in a flyby over Nairobi’s Kasarani stadium.
Kenya’s acquisition of at least one AH-1 was

The Bulgarian Air Force (BuAF) will ground its last operational C-27J Spartan twin-engine tactical transport in early 2018 if no solution is found by then for logistical support from Leonardo Aircraft, Defence Minister Krasimir Karakachanov said on 7 December.
The five-year, EUR25 million (USD29

The Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) will receive a further 25 Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), Rheinmetall announced on 13 December.
It said the German government awarded it a EUR17 million (USD20 million) contract in October to upgrade 25 surplus Bundeswehr vehicles and that deliveries

Key Points
Government says cost of revised contract represents a 30% increase over original deal
Defence minister blames cost rise on previous administration’s “procurement overspends”
The government of New Zealand has renegotiated its contract with Lockheed Martin Canada to

Australia’s state-owned naval shipbuilder ASC Shipbuilding announced on 13 December that its CEO, Mark Lamarre, has resigned. ASC said Lamarre’s decision to return to Maine in the United States is based on family reasons.
Lamarre, who had been in the position for three years, will be

Two weeks after test-firing its Hwaseong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) North Korea announced on 13 December that it plans to increase the quality and quantity of its nuclear weapons.
Addressing scientists and workers at a munitions industry conference, North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un

China’s People Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) on 11 December sent several aircraft on what it referred to as a “regular patrol exercise” over two strategic waterways near Taiwan.
PLAAF spokesperson Senior Colonel Shen Jinke was quoted by Chinese media as saying that the

BAE Systems has confirmed that a new GBP5 billion (USD6.7 billion) contract from the Qatari government for the Eurofighter Typhoon will not affect the planned job cuts that the company announced.
The 10 December order for 24 aircraft has been touted as the largest export deal for the Typhoon in a

The South African Development Community (SADC) formally launched its Preventive Mission in Lesotho (SAPMIL) on 2 December.
The SADC said the force has a strength of 269 personnel from Angola, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Of these, 207 are troops, 15 intelligence

Saudi Arabia has ordered a second, larger consignment of the Raytheon AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) glide bomb in an apparent reflection of its utility in Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) operations over Yemen.
The US Department of Defense (DoD) announced on 12 December that it had awarded

US and Afghan forces have continued targeting Taliban-linked facilities in Afghanistan in an effort to disrupt the militant group’s revenue streams and logistical networks, according to a news release by the US Department of Defense (DoD).
“Using air power, we have been able to target

The US Air Force (USAF) has issued a solicitation to industry regarding the ongoing Pacer Classic (PC) III upgrade programme for its Northrop T-38 Talon advanced jet trainer aircraft.
The request for information (RFI) posted on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website on 11 December

Qatar’s extensive fighter-recapitalisation effort continued on 10 December with the announcement that the Gulf state had signed for a number of Eurofighter Typhoons.
The announcement, which was made by Eurofighter consortium member and lead for the Qatari programme, BAE Systems, covers 24